Ilton



(No Model) 4 Sheets-Sheet 1.

J. B. HAMILTON.

REED ORGAN. v No. 293,454. Patented Feb. 12 1884.

Patented Feb.- 12, 1884,

REED ORGAN.

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J. B. HAMILTON.

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(No Model.)

(Np Model.)

.J. B. HAM REED 0R 4 Sheets-Sheet 4.

ILTON.

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Patented Feb. 12, 18 84 %M@Z% yyzjw 1 5W r nrrsn o rrrrns JAMES BAILLIE HAMILTON, OF HABIEIEBSMITII, COIIXTY ()F HIDDLESEX, ENGLAND.

REED-(BEGAN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 293,454, dated February 12, 188

Application filed October 2, 1883. (X0 model.)

To ail whom it 'ntay cancer/z.-

Be it known that I, Janus BAILLIE Han ILTON, gentleman, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain, and residing at Studland Street,

Hammcrsmith, county of Middlesex, England, have invented certain Improvements in Reed- Organs orlike MusicalInstruments, (for which I have obtained a patent in Great Britain, No. 4,312, dated September 7, 1883,) of which the following is a specification.

In cases where the pallet or valve precedes the reed, as is usual in pipe-organs, it is desirable to bring the reeds as close as possible to the pallets, so as to make theintervening space as small as possible, as the said space, if excessive, interferes with the prompt speech of the notes. This part of my invention has for its object to effect this desired close proximity of the reeds and pallets without, on the one hand, keeping the bars of the sound-board too deep for the proper speech, or, on the other hand, too shallow for the requisite strength and stiffness, seeing that the pallets depend for their efficiency upon theperfect straightness and rigidity of the bars.

I will describe myinvention with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a transverse section, Fig. 2 a longitudinal section, and Fig. 3 a plan, of so much of an instrument as is necessary to illustrate my invention.

According to my said invention I make a fixture of the superstructure, thus enabling the bars a of the sound-board Ate be shallow and yet rigid, and allowing also the reeds b to be situated as close as is desired to the pallets c and to each other; and I moreover provide a more convenient and perfect mode of access to the reedsior tuning or other purposes. I eft'ectthis by means of a plug of wood or breechpiece, D, which contains allthe reeds common to the pallet which it overlies, there being such a plug or breech-piece for each such set of reeds controlled by one pallet. The reeds are supported or held on the sides of the plugs or breech-pieces toward the pallets, and ahole, (1, passes through the plug or breech-piece D,

above each reed, allowing it to communicate Patented in England September 7, 13%3. No. 4312.

Each breech-piece or plug D passes between the bars a of the sound-board, the said plugs being provided with projecting pieces (I at each end, which hold the said breech-pieces or plugs against the tablcg, which covers the bars a of the sound-board, and also keep the reeds from actual contact with the pallets. The said projections on the plugs or breech-pieces also close air-tight at back and front the entrances between the bars of the sound-board. In order to properly develop the tone after the current of air has passed through the reed, plug, and slide-hole, I fix over the upper board, beneath which the slides work. a board, H, (which I term the cavity-board or honey-comb, from its appearance,) having therein holes or spaces 71, corresponding to the reeds, and of the diameter or width admissible by the scale of the instrument. In order to widen out this scale without increasing the lengh of the instrument, I provide a row of holes or spaces, hi, at each side of the series of first-named holes or spaces, the former opening into the latter by passag s/r-at alternate sides. Thus the side holes, i can be double the diameter or capacity of the central holes or spaces, 71. I call the larger holes, 7r, mouths, and the smallerones, '71, nostrils. By inserting plugs or vent-pegs i into the nostrils 71, I am able to regulate the sides of the passages h, which communicate with the mouths izflcither by raising or lowering the plugs, or by turning them. The plugs may also be hollow an d pro longed into a tube, as shown,its length and closure greatlyail'ectin g the tone. The months may be treated in the same way; but I prefer, as arule, to allowthe cavity-board to diminish in depth from bass to treble in such a way that by merely boringholes I secure the depth of mouths and nostrils required. The said months may be further ,hadcd or shielded by any device commonly in use for such a purpose.

As regards the artificial excitation of any note that may be naturally slowot speech, I 9

take advantage of the proximity of the pallet to the reed and place upon the pallet a light spring, 7., as shown in Fig. 2, which spring.

with its corresponding orifice 6 above, which when the pallet is closed, slightly forces the is controlled by a slide,f, of the ordinarykind.

reed into its own orifice. When the pallet is depressed, the release of the pressure effects a recoil upon the reed-tongue, which precipitates the act of vibration. This spring 7t preferably acts upon the ligature Zor cross-bar of my compound reeds, as described in the specification of my prior patent; and in order to prevent its catching the reeds as they are withdrawn, it is curved into a hump and its free end is buried in a cavity bored out of the substance of the pallet. The said spring is preferably flat, and covered with leather or other soft substance at If, so as to prevent it jarring 011 the return of the pallet.

There may be placed over a whole step or series of notes, to assist in developing he tone, a further inclosure, M, as shown in Fig. 1, in the form of a tube running the length of the instrument and common to every note in the stop, the orifices of which open into it. The said tube will be more expanded toward the treble, so that the treble-notes have the ad vantage of the wide open mouth,while the 5 bass have the benefit of the tube, which be comes longer as the notes deepen.

The invention may be used in combination with ordinary single reeds, 01' with my own patent double-treble or compound reeds.

I am aware that musical instruments have heretofore been provided with removable reeds, and therefore do not claim this, broadly.

I elainras my invention-- 1. The combination of the sound-board of a reed-instrument and a series of pallets with a corresponding series or removable plugs or breech-pieces, each carrying two or more reeds common to one pallet and adapted to recesses in the sound-board, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination of the sound-board of a reed-instrument, having a series of spaced bars, a, with reeds and pallets near together, and with a superstructure rigidly secured to the soundboard through said bars, substan tially as described.

8. The combination of the sound-board, reeds, and pallets of a musical instrument, with a cavity-board having a communicating nostril, h, and mouth If for each reed, substantially as specified.

4. The combination of the reeds of a mu sieal instrument with pallets carrying exciting-springs k, adapted to come into contact with the reeds, substantially'as set for h.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

mains BAILLIE' Hammet Witnesses:

Crms. Jils. J oxns, Enwn. Gno. Davrns, Both of 47 Lincolns'Inn Fields, London. 

